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 COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY
The Bluegrass State is also a commonwealth. Kentucky is one of only four states to use this designation. In 1792, when Kentucky became the 15th state - the first on the western frontier - both commonwealth and state were used. Kentucky chose commonwealth, meaning government based on the common consent of the people and dating to the time of Oliver Cromwell's England in the mid-1600s.
The other U.S. commonwealths, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia, were originally British colonies. Kentucky, once part of Virginia, chose to remain a commonwealth when it separated from Virginia. Kentucky's official insignia was authorized in 1792, six months after it was admitted to the union. Our motto - United We Stand, Divided We Fall - is believed to be from The Liberty Song, popular during the American Revolution, and a favorite of Revolutionary War hero and Kentucky's first governor Isaac Shelby. The state seal imprinted on a field of navy blue was approved for the state flag by the General Assembly in 1928. The original flag is displayed in Frankfort at the Kentucky History Museum.
CAPITAL
Frankfort, on the Kentucky River in central Kentucky, is known for one of the most beautiful capitols in the country.
TOURISM & TRAVEL
With six national areas, 50 state parks, and hundreds of recreational, natural, historic, and cultural attractions, Kentucky abounds in travel opportunities. Tourism and travel is Kentucky's third largest revenue-producing industry, contributing $7.4 billion to the state's economy in 1997. Tourism and travel is also the second largest private employer, providing 146,738 full-time, year-round jobs.
GEOGRAPHY
Located in the south central United States along the west side of the Appalachian Mountains, Kentucky ranks 37th in land size, with 40,411 square miles (104,664 square kilometers). The Commonwealth is bordered by seven states: Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, Missouri and Illinois. The Ohio River flows 664 miles (1,068 kilometers) along the northern and western borders of the state. Kentucky's highest point is Black Mountain in Harlan County, 4,145 feet (1,264 meters) above sea level; its lowest point, the Mississippi River in Fulton County, 260 feet above sea level.
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